The North Carolina Tar Heels let another double-digit lead slip away Saturday night, and this one ended with a 31-30 loss to the Syracuse Orange.
A big piece of the offense showed up in a major way. The star wide receiver was a problem all night, finishing with eight catches for 102 yards and a touchdown. Shipp’s route work at every level and his knack for slipping defenders after the catch were on full display.
North Carolina also got strong production out of its backfield despite not having its starting running back. Jaylen McGill and Demon June gave the Tar Heels a real one-two punch, even though they bring different styles to the table.
They split the workload almost evenly and together produced 115 rushing yards and one touchdown on 21 carries. Through the air, they added 25 yards and another touchdown on four receptions.
The offense, for much of the night, stayed on schedule and avoided long-yardage trouble. That helped UNC go 9-of-17 on third down, a number that reflected how often the Tar Heels kept themselves in manageable situations.
But the defense couldn’t hold up its end. Syracuse ran for 199 yards and two touchdowns on 49 carries, continuing a troubling trend for a unit that has been getting pushed around on the ground. The defensive line, in particular, had a night to forget and never really controlled the line of scrimmage.
This was the second straight week North Carolina blew a double-digit lead, only this time there was no escape hatch. Syracuse came in at 2-4, which makes the result even harder to swallow for a Tar Heels team that let a game it should have won get away.
The late-game issues were familiar. The offense couldn’t keep drives alive after the first quarter, and the defense couldn’t get Syracuse off the field on third downs when it mattered most. Instead of walking into the Miami matchup at 5-2, UNC is now 4-3 and looking at a stretch where it may enter the final four games of the season at .500.
Quarterback play remains the central issue. Edwards Jr. opened the game by completing his first 11 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown.
After that, the problems that have followed him all season surfaced again. He missed easy reads, looked uncomfortable in the pocket, and couldn’t consistently put together sustained drives once the Tar Heels moved beyond scripted plays.
In every UNC loss, that has been the story, and Saturday was no different. Edwards Jr.’s struggles continue to keep opponents within reach, and Syracuse took full advantage.
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Peyton Trayer did her part to make the lone strike stand up, finishing with a career-high seven saves to preserve the shutout. It was Carolina's second top-10 win of the season and its ninth shutout overall, another reminder that this group keeps answering big challenges with the kind of edge that travels deep into the postseason conversation. [Read more 🡒]